Mask Off

By Daryl Clemes

It is like God is wearing a mask. It covers His true identity. It has been placed there by religion, tradition, and hear say. Most people have a view of Christianity that has been shrouded in misinformation and misconception. The local church just might be a part of the problem.
You may not know just how much religion (the systematic activities people do to obtain God's favor) has distorted the information that you have been given over the years. Did you know that almost all of Christian tradition is man-made and has nothing to do with God and what He wants us to do? Many people have someone they trust (pastor, preacher, teacher, relative) who they get their Christian information from. But people will usually never question those sources using biblical research of their own. That places them in a misinformed state of deception.
Don't worry! Daryl Clemes will reverse that process in his book Mask Off. You will be systematically led through certain mainstream Christian principles without being spoon fed. Scripture references are always included. Daryl uses his training in Christian Ministry along with times as Senior Pastor and church leader to unearth biblical truths that are sure to amaze you! God is revealing Himself but you have to seek in order to find. Mask Off will lead the way!
Learn about the person who invented modern church as we know it. Discover that the bible is indeed trustworthy and why. Read about the true relationship between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Find out what the true gospel of Jesus is and why it goes mostly ignored today. Be amazed at exactly how and why prayer works. Discover all of this and much more inside of Mask Off!
Non-Christians will love this book. Mask Off does not include the biases and denominational traits that most teachings of this kind do. Now is the time to consider a Christian perspective without the fear of being taught to accept a set of beliefs without challenge. Finally see for yourself inside of Mask Off!

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098326401

Book preview

©2020 All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Print ISBN: 978-1-09832-639-5

eBook ISBN: 978-1-09832-640-1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

A PERSONAL JOURNEY

THE BIBLE

THE GOSPEL: THE KINGDOM OF GOD

PRAYER

WHO IS GOD

THE PERSON OF CHRIST

SALVATION ILLUSTRATIONS

THE LOCAL CHURCH

THE GREAT COMMISSION

THE CONCLUSION: Discovering Your Purpose

REFERENCES

INTRODUCTION

This book is about a King, a kingdom, and a royal family. The King is none other than God, the One who created the universe by Himself. The kingdom is His domain, which is technically everywhere. It is very tangible in heaven while it cannot be perceived on earth with the naked eye. The royal family are also the citizens of this kingdom. They have the privilege of professing allegiance to the King while also being related to Him. The members of this royal family have also placed all of their faith in the King, in part, by rejecting all other kingdoms. The people have inherited many benefits and freedoms, prompting them to give thanks and rejoice every day.

Did you know that the gospel is not being taught or preached properly by people and churches? That is not to say that the teaching is incorrect. But, it is incomplete. In fact, Jesus taught the gospel much differently than most people do now-a-days. To understand what Jesus was preaching, we first have to start from the beginning, Genesis. From this book, the entirety of the gospel can be seen. This includes the kingdom of God which was Jesus’ main focus during His ministry.

You might know that praying is a good thing to do. Even non-Christians believe this to some degree. But you might not know how and why it works. You see, prayer is not supposed to be a religious activity. Prayer is not supposed to be a series of wishes. Prayer is not supposed to be begging or groveling. Praying is not supposed to be saying the same thing over and over again. Believing wrongly about prayer will cause it to be ineffective. And talking to someone who is not there is hard to wrap our minds around. But there is a practicality to prayer that we will discuss.

The Bible is not a history book. The history in it has been proven or, at least, not unproven time and time again. But history is not the Bible’s main focus. Its main focus is to tell the story of a King, His kingdom, and His royal family. The Bible is not a book of advice. It is not just a source of information to be weighed evenly with other sources. The Bible is 100% trustworthy and is right even when we don’t understand or agree with it. The people of God know this already but for those who are new to this kind of stuff, proof may be necessary.

Who is God? How does God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit relate to each other? How does salvation work? What does a man dying on a cross have to do with me? Who is Jesus? The answer to these questions may seem elementary to some. But to those people, let me ask you this: If you know the answer to these questions so well then why is it that you cannot explain them very well to anyone who asks? Maybe you need to understand better. Maybe you need to understand differently. We will look at the answer to these questions from a non-religious perspective. All you have to do is open your mind.

Did you know that the church that is seen today does not resemble the one that was seen in Bible times, the first century? It’s true! So what happened? When did it change? Is going to church good or bad? Is it even necessary? The world is still very interested in Jesus, to some extent, but has lost all interest in church! We will talk about it.

What does God want you to do? What is your purpose and destiny? These are very important questions to answer. Most people have no clue! Everyone has been put on the earth to do something specifically designed for them. We will discover how to find out what that is for your life.

Mask Off:

I know the title of this book, Mask Off, does not seem to be related to the subject matter. It will as soon as I can explain some things. But first, I need to define what the title means. We all know that a mask is a covering for the face. Some people wear masks due to respiratory issues. However, almost every other time a mask is worn to conceal or hide something from view, as in a disguise or veil. A mask is used as a manner of expression that hides one’s true character or feelings. It is how one attempts to make something that is not the case appear true.

The make-up that women put on is often called a mask. Regardless of the specific reason that one uses it, make-up is intended to cover up what lies beneath. Think about the face of a clown. That person is completely unrecognizable with the make-up. Hollywood uses make-up all the time. Have you ever seen a celebrity photograph without make-up? Old actors look old, blemishes and freckles are seen, and true skin tone is revealed.

We have all seen movies and the nightly news showing bank robbers. They wear masks most of the time. They obviously do not want people to know who they truly are so they put on a fake identity. When they are finally brought to justice, we can see their face on the mugshot. No more hiding for them!

One of my favorite movies is The Mask, starring Jim Carrey. He plays Stanley Ipkiss who finds a magical mask. While wearing the mask, he becomes a supernatural playboy who is charming and confident, the opposite of Stanley’s real characteristics. However, Stanley’s alter ego also causes some damage. Stanley decides by the end of the movie to throw away the mask and be happy with his true self.

Now that we know what a mask is used for, let me tell you what the purpose of this book is: to remove the facade of religion and tradition in order to reveal the true reality that lies just underneath. The truth is hidden in plain sight. It has been lost in transmission. It has been covered with a veil. Its origins have long been forgotten. The truth is now a mystery but it will be revealed again soon.

Study Guidelines:

There are a few things to remember before you start reading this book:

The New Living Translation is quoted throughout this book. If another translation is used then there will be a notation afterwards. If there is not a notation then you know that it is a NLT quote.

I do not quote all scriptures that I reference. I will always note where the Bible passage is found but I may or may not type it out for you. Or I might only type it out partially, leaving the rest for you to find and read.

Individual study while reading this book is suggested and expected! This book will be a waste of time if you do not want to read the Bible for yourself. I am not God! Do not take my word for stuff. Do not disagree with me without letting the scriptures speak for themselves. If you think you already know something, read it again! I will give prompts throughout this book when to study something. It will be no more than a chapter or two and sometimes less than that. I believe in the Bible read in context but I cannot quote full chapters for you. So sometimes I will prompt you to read something in context rather than just read the one quote that I reference. I want an opportunity to lead you on a journey but you have to walk for yourself. If you do not have a Bible, get one! The Salvation Army, and various other ministries give them away for free. You can also download a Bible app onto your smart phone, computer, tablet, or iPad for free.

This book has been written from a non-religious and non-churchy perspective. Many people will appreciate that. Many people will not. I approach the subject matter differently than you may have heard before. Whether you are new to these subjects or trained, a different perspective will benefit you.

Discovery can only happen after a search has taken place. A cover conceals something. Discovery seeks to reverse that process. That is what Mask Off is all about.

A PERSONAL JOURNEY

My Mom:

Mattie Jean was raised on a farm in Tennessee with two sisters and one brother. Her mother, also named Mattie, was a home maker and a God fearing woman. Her father, Gene, was a chef, a farmer, and a bootlegger. Gene always made sure the kids went to church though. He would often pick up other kids in the neighborhood and take them too. Gene bought a lot of land with the bootlegging money. The church would often hold their tent revivals on one of those large plots. My mother was told that joining a church was the only way to know the Lord. For some reason, she never believed that. Mattie Jean watched people go to the front of the church to accept Jesus as their Lord. Back then, the church would tell people to tarry in order to get saved. Tarrying is when people repeat over and over, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus until they have some sort of emotional response. This might be shaking, crying, shouting, rolling around on the floor, or anything else that is loud.

Mattie Jean would look at all of this from her pew, thinking those people were nuts! She would attend summer Bible camps and even did some secretary work for the church. Yet, the Christian experience was never very real for her. Many years later, Mattie Jean became pregnant with her first child. She was ashamed of herself and felt like she was being judged by everyone. She had a friend in Chicago, Illinois that she could stay with until she got on her feet so, in 1962 Mattie Jean ran away to a big city where she could vanish. No one else knew her there which is the way she wanted it. Mattie Jean thought she was a bad girl and not very valuable after giving her first child away for adoption. So, she began to live a wild lifestyle. This included getting drunk, getting high, partying, and sleeping around.

Mattie Jean made acquaintances with many people over a season of partying in the Chicago club scene on the weekends. However, around 1970, she formed a relationship with one in particular. They had a tumultuous relationship but it lasted for quite a while. In 1977 Mattie Jean became pregnant again and I was born in July of 1978.

One day, Mattie Jean was getting high, listening to music, and watching television with the sound turned down. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a thought came into her mind that she had never thought of or even considered before. She thought to herself: Either someone is serving God or they are serving the devil! If you are not serving God then you have no choice but to be serving the devil! Mattie Jean was astonished at this thought but did not know if it was true or not. So she called her sister, Gloria, back in Tennessee to try and find some answers. She asked Gloria, Is it true that if you are not serving God then you are serving the devil? Gloria replied, Yes. The conversation pretty much ended there. Back then, long distance rates were high and something to be avoided. However, after about three days, Gloria realized that Mattie Jean must have been asking her that question because she was ready to turn her life over to Jesus so, Gloria called Mattie Jean back and apologized for ending the conversation so soon.

Gloria told Mattie Jean very plainly, God knows that you drink, and smoke, and party, and lay with a man that you are not married to but, God wants you to come as you are today. Most people try and get their life straightened out before they come to Jesus. That does not work. Jesus has to change you Himself. Mattie Jean listened intently while Gloria continued, Is there anything stopping you from giving your life over to the Lord today? No, said Mattie Jean. Do you believe Jesus died for your sins and then was resurrected on the third day? Gloria asked. Yes said Mattie. Then that is basically all there is to it Gloria said. Mattie Jean’s sister led her in a prayer that very night.

After that, Mattie Jean began to change on the inside. Whenever she found the time, she would read the Bible. Something that she wanted nothing to do with all of a sudden became totally irresistible, amazing, and fascinating to her. She would even read the Bible while she was getting high. Imagine that! Around that time, in March of 1979, Mattie Jean took her son and moved back home, to Tennessee.

To Train a Child:

The Sunday church service was getting ready to come to a close. But first the pastor needed to give an altar call, a summons to those wishing to show their commitment to Jesus and be saved. At that point in every service, the children’s church would let out and flood into the sanctuary. While people were giving their lives to Jesus up front, the parents could gather their kids and prepare for an exit. On this particular morning, Mattie Jean could not find her son. She asked around to see if anyone knew where I was until someone found me. She could not find me because, instead of going where all the other kids were going, I answered the pastor’s altar call! I was in the line of people in front of the church waiting to be prayed for and accept Jesus into my life. I was towards the end of my toddler years and entering into my middle childhood years.

Around 1982, my mother was able to find a good enough job to purchase a house. She really couldn’t afford it, but it was either raise me in the suburbs or in the inner city projects. Mattie Jean refused to do that despite recommendations from officials. It was a little 900 square foot house, newly constructed, in a rapidly growing part of town. She even let me pick out the color. I chose yellow and we soon moved in.

My mother and I would talk about everything and she didn’t hold any punches regardless of my age. I remember her telling me that nobody is perfect, not even her. I actually got into an argument with some kids in the first grade who thought that parents are perfect. So we took it to the teacher who actually sided with the other kids, agreeing with them that parents are perfect! I still didn’t believe it because of what Mattie Jean had told me.

I remember seeing a 100 dollar bill in my mother’s hand one day. I thought we were rich! She quickly shut me down. She said Daryl, any time you see me with a lot of money in my hand like this, it is because I am paying bills. The money is not mine. It is the utility department’s. You need to go to school and study. Don’t be like me! I remember Christmas times. My mother never bothered to tell me lies about Santa Claus. During Christmas, she would tell me to write down my Christmas list. Then we would look over it together and pray about it. I always knew that my mom was buying the toys, along with other family. I also knew that I would not be able to receive everything that I wanted. But, I trusted God and my mom! She also told me that the tooth fairy and Easter bunny were both lies. However, I was instructed never to tell the kids at school. She said, Their parents want them to believe that. That is their business.

I believed in the Lord wholeheartedly very early on. I remember telling a convenience store clerk once that I had just come from the dentist. He wondered out loud how I had the courage to do that. I remember looking at my mom and asking her, Does he not know? Then I looked at him and pointed up to the sky. Mattie Jean told me that one weekend when I was sick, she woke up and saw me pacing back and forth with the Bible in my hand praying to God. I would also minister to the kids in my neighborhood. I didn’t know I was ministering at the time. I was just being myself. I played children’s Christian music outside and invited kids to church.

My mother and I would kneel down and pray before I would go to bed at night. I would pray and she would pray. We read Bible stories from a children’s story book and she would answer any questions that I would have. One night, as I lay in bed, I saw a big shadowy fist hovering right above me. Frightened, I called my mother. She prayed and rebuked the spirit in the room. After that, she started playing children Christian music in my room to help me stay calm. Whenever I would see that shadowy fist, I would pray and rebuke it.

I saw several miracles while growing up. These observances played a major part in who I am today. You might not know that many people have one arm or one leg shorter than the other. This can cause physical ailments. Well, one summer at a church camp, I saw arms and legs being grown out with prayer. I tried to get them to pray for me but my arms and legs were even length. One night I was shooting basketball in my driveway when I saw an angel. Another time during Christmas, my mom let me open up an early gift. It was a toy cap gun that transformed into a robot. Somehow I busted the toy. Mattie Jean said we could try and get another one. The next day when I woke up, the toy was fixed. Assuming my mom bought it from a store that morning, I looked outside. There was snow on the ground with no tire tracks. I went and asked her if she had left but she said no. And yet another time, I saw visions in the carpet. The visions I saw were faces. Just like you can see a foot print in plush carpet, I saw the carpet impressed in places that would create the picture of a face and then it would turn into another face.

This story is not